Nigerian Man Sentenced to Over 4 Years in US for Romance Scam, Faces Deportation

Uchenna Nlemchi, a Nigerian citizen, has been sentenced to 51 months in a U.S. federal prison for his participation in a romance scam and business email compromise scheme.

Along with the prison term, Nlemchi has been instructed to pay $524,000 in restitution and a money judgment of $868,295. Extradited from Hungary to the United States last year, Nlemchi was charged for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that began in 2015.

Court documents reveal that Nlemchi, along with a co-conspirator posing as “Sean Bartlett,” convinced a widow in New Mexico to send money for supposed business expenses.

Nlemchi established bank accounts under his name and a fake business name, “Jay Auto & Machine Parts,” through which he received over $375,000 from the victim.

The scam also defrauded a German citizen of over $200,000, which was funneled into Nlemchi’s accounts. Following the receipt of funds, Nlemchi swiftly withdrew and transferred the money before abandoning the accounts in early 2016.

In a statement released by U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, it was outlined how Nlemchi meticulously executed instructions from his co-conspirator to receive and distribute the funds.

The transfers included substantial amounts from the widow’s retirement savings and a home equity loan, resulting in a swift withdrawal and global transfer of over $868,000.

Upon his arrest in 2017 in Houston, Texas, Nlemchi was on a student visa, attending Texas Southern University. Although initially released under electronic monitoring, he managed to escape, fleeing to Mexico, then Brazil, and eventually returning to Nigeria.

Nlemchi evaded authorities for over five years until his capture in Hungary in 2023. In February 2024, Nlemchi pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Following his prison term, he will undergo deportation proceedings and three years of supervised release.